Recommend a Com 2

[ateamer]

My Com 2 is a King KX-125, amd the com side transmits garbled and is intermittent receiving. When I key the mic, the display flashes; this is with the plane running, proper voltage, everything else working normally. Receiving has become intermittent. An avionics tech checked it briefly while doing other work, and his quick opinion is that the radio is on its last legs.

If that is indeed the case, I will need to swap it out for something else. It looks like there isn’t anything that is a direct slide-in replacement. Com 1 is a KX-155 that is working properly, and I have a GPS-175. I don’t need a Nav 2, so just a straight com radio will be fine. I am also good with buying used, as long as it’s something that we can expect a resonably long life from.

Recommendations?

 

[AV8R_87]

KX-125 NAV/COMM / Indicator

We are used avionics specialists for General Aviation.

www.bennettavionics.com

Less than 2k with a 1yr warranty.

You'll spend much more on rewiring the panel to take something else.

Sounds to me like your problem could be a bad power/ground connection, either internal to the radio or external.

Check all external stuff first, under load. Circuit breakers can go bad, too. The voltage will measure fine with no load, and drop severely when a load is applied.

 

[Daleandee]

If both transmit and receive are having issues I'd troubleshoot the antenna system (antenna, coax, connections, etc.) before I spent money replacing a radio that might not be at fault ...

 

[ateamer]

I definitely have planned on more troubleshooting before replacing it, but want to get my homework going now if the problem is the radio.

 

[asicer]

When I key the mic, the display flashes; this is with the plane running, proper voltage, everything else working normally. Receiving has become intermittent. An avionics tech checked it briefly while doing other work, and his quick opinion is that the radio is on its last legs.

The flashing display when keying the mic makes me think it's a power supply issue, and a power supply issue makes me think of old leaking electrolytic capacitors. If so, it may be fixable but your tech is likely on the right track in that it's probably not worth fixing.

Have you tried running it on the bench to rule out faulty wiring in the plane?

 

[Racerx]

Dynon bought Trig earlier this year. The Dynon com radio is in fact a trig which has worked great.

 

[M20K]

Garmin and Dynon both have Comm radio options. King has one too, but I understand they grossly over priced it, you'd need to confirm that. You'll also want to check with your avioinics shop to see what the installation costs would be for your specific plane.

If you went with the Garmin, my guess is there are some features that the GPS175 would unlock. And yes, a lot more money. But if you did want a Nav 2 and a Comm 2, take a look at the GNC355.

 

[FORANE]

A couple thoughts, is this an EAB or certified aircraft?
Dynon was mentioned. I have the small Dynon comm working in conjunction with my HDX. It is great in displaying and auto tuning ATIS, ground, approach, tower, etc when paired with the HDX. It isn't so great as a comm. Perhaps it's my installation or antenna but it isn't as good of a radio (by far) as the GTN650xi has.
I've installed an Icom A210, definitely not a fan.
The old Apollo / Garmin SL40 was a little better than the Icom.
Apart from the Garmin GTN650xi radio, the best comm I've used and equally as good of a comm as the 650, is the very old, very heavy and long Collins VHF251. That thing was a good comm. They can be found pretty cheap too. I think I have one buried somewhere in my spare parts.

 

[asicer]

Another thought, although not a very cheap one, would be to slide out the GPS175 and slide in a GNC355. The existing connector is designed to be forward-compatible. You'd simply add a second connector to the rack for the COM2 audio hi/lo, mic hi/lo and mic key wires.

 

[Racerx]

A couple thoughts, is this an EAB or certified aircraft?
Dynon was mentioned. I have the small Dynon comm working in conjunction with my HDX. It is great in displaying and auto tuning ATIS, ground, approach, tower, etc when paired with the HDX. It isn't so great as a comm. Perhaps it's my installation or antenna but it isn't as good of a radio (by far) as the GTN650xi has.
I've installed an Icom A210, definitely not a fan.
The old Apollo / Garmin SL40 was a little better than the Icom.
Apart from the Garmin GTN650xi radio, the best comm I've used and equally as good of a comm as the 650, is the very old, very heavy and long Collins VHF251. That thing was a good comm. They can be found pretty cheap too. I think I have one buried somewhere in my spare parts.

The Dynon comm is essentially a trig ty91 6 watt radio. The gtn 650xi is 10 or 16.

I've never had an issue with the lower wattage dynon/trig.

The trig ty97 is a 16 watt comm

 

[FPK1]

As suggested above, I would really triple check the antenna and all the wiring back to the radio. Also, any switch between radio 1 and radio 2 and the antenna.

 

[ateamer]

Followup on this old thread: Problem solved. It was the audio panel, plus possibly the old wiring. After Com 1 cut out several times, I took the plane to an avionics shop. The 51 year old Narco audio panel was at end of life. They also noted that the comm antennas were rough. One had the mast worn through the gelcoat, and the other had a big crack on the collar around the base.

They installed a used Garmin audio panel that had just been removed from a corporate plane, and replaced the antennas and cables with new. It’s working fine now.

Com 2, the KX-125, isn’t as good as Com 1 (-155), but far better than it was before. So for now, no plans to replace it. When that day does come, I’ll probably go with a Garmin something or other, and make Com 2 the primary.

Shoutout to Treasure Coast Avionics at Fort Pierce, FL (KFPR). Every time I’ve been there, whether for repair or an inspection, they are on schedule, accurate with the cost estimate and timeline, and very friendly and professional. A number of our neighbors have had the same great experience with them.

 

[DKirkpatrick]

One vote for Apollo now Garmin sl40. King ky196 if airplane 14vdc with 16W if output….

 

[Bathman]

I feel with modern com boxes. I have the trig which has a active and standby I don't feel there is a need for a Com 2.

In the future I will route the antenna to a BNC connector on the panel and in an emergency I'd plug my handheld into that.

I had an ultra light which had a decent antenna and just a handheld. It worked great.

 

[M20K]

I feel with modern com boxes. I have the trig which has a active and standby I don't feel there is a need for a Com 2.

Depending upon what kind of flying you do, you may really wish you had a Comm 2 when Comm 1 fails.

If all VFR and you fly out of a smaller Apt (even a Towered one) it won't really matter if your radio dies. But if you fly a lot of IFR or into big metro areas, even if only occasionally, you're really going to want that Comm 2 to make your workload easier and as a backup.

 

[mscheuer]

My Com 2 is a King KX-125, amd the com side transmits garbled and is intermittent receiving. When I key the mic, the display flashes; this is with the plane running, proper voltage, everything else working normally. Receiving has become intermittent. An avionics tech checked it briefly while doing other work, and his quick opinion is that the radio is on its last legs.

If that is indeed the case, I will need to swap it out for something else. It looks like there isn’t anything that is a direct slide-in replacement. Com 1 is a KX-155 that is working properly, and I have a GPS-175. I don’t need a Nav 2, so just a straight com radio will be fine. I am also good with buying used, as long as it’s something that we can expect a resonably long life from.

Recommendations?

You could replace the KX-125 with our audio panel that includes a remote mounted Trig TY91L. This would free up the space the KX-125 is taking up and as a bonus, you get an outstanding audio panel!
PAR200B

 

[theplanesalon]

You could replace the KX-125 with our audio panel that includes a remote mounted Trig TY91L. This would free up the space the KX-125 is taking up and as a bonus, you get an outstanding audio panel!
PAR200B

PS Engineering does make some genuinely nice audio panels. The Par 200 with a built in comm / remote comm can’t be beat…

 

[Bathman]

Depending upon what kind of flying you do, you may really wish you had a Comm 2 when Comm 1 fails.

If all VFR and you fly out of a smaller Apt (even a Towered one) it won't really matter if your radio dies. But if you fly a lot of IFR or into big metro areas, even if only occasionally, you're really going to want that Comm 2 to make your workload easier and as a backup.

I know everyone is different but I do go into some decent sized airfields IFR and I'm happy to do so with one com.

I just don't use box 2 enough to justify the replacement expense. So if and when I need to replace a com 2 I'm just going to connect it to a BNC connector on my panel.